Romantic Shepherds Huts in Somerset

The Region

The region that surrounds The Shepherds Hut Retreat is the excellent location of South Somerset and a stone throw from Dorset and Devon with the World Heritage Jurassic Coast only a 30 minute drive away.

What’s On Your Doorstep?

Crewkerne, which is a market town situated 2 miles to the east and offers a range of supermarkets including Waitrose, shops, cafes and an indoor pool and gym complex.

Hinton St George, a picturesque village situated 1 mile to the north, offers a village shop and an award winning gastro pub ‘The Lord Poullett Arms’.

Places To Explore and Eat During Your Stay

Lyme Regis famous for the French Lieutenant’s Women and paleontologist, Mary Anning, is 30 minutes drive away. It is a very pretty town with independent boutiques, second hand bookshops, cafes, fossil shops, museums and a cinema.

We recommend having lunch at the Town Mill Bakery or the Mill Tea & Dinning Room, followed by a visit to the microbrewery and Art Gallery housed in an old water mill. And if your pocket stretches to it, you can enjoy dinner at Hix oyster and fish house while you watch the sun go down.

West Bay & Bridport, famous for being the gateway to the Jurassic Coast and now the tv series Broadchurch is only 30 minutes drive away. The market town of Bridport has a thriving artist community. There is still a busy market held on Wednesday and Saturday every week. We recommend attending the Saturday market for vintage bargains and local produce, arts and crafts. It was Bridport where Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall of River Cottage tried out his first produce, and his products are still sold at the monthly farmer’s market. Try Lula in the high street for amazing brunch, lunch and dinner or The Bull for elegant dining with a fantastic cocktail bar.

West Bay is a 5 minute drive from Bridport. It has a stunning beach with golden cliffs. You can often find fossils on the beach. A great place to stay to watch the sun go down and have a BBQ on the beach. (Bridport has Waitrose, The Co-op and Morrisons if you want to buy BBQ supplies!)

Burton Bradstock home of Billy Bragg and the award winning Hive Beach Café, only a 35 minute drive away. This is a great beach to start from if you fancy covering part of the coast path on foot. If you are feeling fit you can walk to West Bay from here. The beach is owned by the National Trust and is a great spot to fish for mackerel. We recommend getting up early and having breakfast here.

Jalopy Pizza brings high quality street food to Dorset and beyond. We use very high quality ingredients and hand make each pizza to order. The pizzas are cooked in our authentic Ephrem wood fired oven, which gives them a unique flavour.

For History And Outdoor Lovers

Montacute House, which is a 20 minutes drive away, is a 16th century mansion built for Sir Edward Phelips. It has the longest Long Gallery in England and houses more than 60 of best Tudor and Elizabethan portraits from the National Portrait Gallery collection.

Forde Abbey, A stately home only 10 minutes away with more than 900 years of history and romance are encapsulated in this elegant former Cistercian monastery and its 30 acres of award winning gardens.

The South West Coast Path National Trail is 630 miles of superb coastal walking. From Minehead on the edge of the Exmoor National Park to the shores of Poole Harbour, in Dorset, it is the best way to enjoy the wonderful coastal scenery, wildlife and heritage.

Abbotsbury Swannery and the Subtropical Gardens, Only 40 minutes drive away the picturesque village of Abbotsbury with its ruined Abbey, Tithe barn and Swannery are bordered by the unique Subtropical Gardens. This is an amazing day out.